Tag: gaming news
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Spyro The Dragon Remastered Glides To The PlayStation 4

This September is a special one for Spyro The Dragon fans. 20 years ago, the original Spyro was released on PlayStation 1. Kotaku reported late yesterday, 2/13/18, that multiple sources insist Activision is currently working on a Spyro The Dragon Trilogy Remaster. The official announcement is expected to come in March of 2018 and will be slated for release in Q3 2018.

Longtime PlayStation fans might be experiencing a bit of déjà vu. The Spyro remaster is expected to be similar to the extremely successful Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy. New animations, cinematics, improved graphics, assets and a remastered soundtrack will all create the brand new original Spyro The Dragon Trilogy, Ripto’s Rage! (Gateway to Glimmer as it’s known in Europe and Australia), and Year of the Dragon.

New Content for the Purple Dragon

There is also a chance that the trilogy will include previously cut content that never made it in the original games. No word on what this content could possibly be but when looking at the N. Sane Trilogy, Crash received the Stormy Ascent level that could only be reached with a GameShark back on the original version.

Multiple sources report that the remastered Spyro The Dragon Trilogy will be exclusive on PS4 for one year before reaching other platforms. It will also come with PS4 Pro support. This temporary exclusivity is another similarity shared between the upcoming Spyro game and the N. Sane Trilogy. If the success of the N. Sane Trilogy is any indication of the popularity of these classic video game franchises, a Spyro The Dragon remaster has a great chance of succeeding on any platform it reaches.

Old Classics Get New Life

Activision is clearly impressed with the success of the Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy and wants to continue offering gamers the content they enjoy. Older titles like Shadow of The Colossus, Crash Bandicoot and now Spyro went down in history as revered classics. It’s been incredible to watch developers like Activision breathe new life into the titles. It gives gamers that may have missed the original releases a second chance to go along for these adventures or longtime fans an opportunity to play these games on modern consoles.

These reports have come from Kotaku UK citing unidentified sources and have yet to be confirmed by Activision. Gigamax Games will be keeping a close eye on how this story continues to develop. Check back on this page for any new details that bubble to the surface. Once March comes around and if Activision makes the official announcement, don’t forget to stop by on GigamaxGames.com for the latest report and any additional insight into the upcoming Spyro remaster.

Nintendo Switch Lifecycle May Extend Past 5-6 Years

The lifecycle of a typical console is around 5-6 years. With a few exceptions, this has been the standard for the big three video game companies Microsoft, Nintendo, and Sony. Although Nintendo now believes that their latest addition to the console market, the Nintendo Switch, could potentially be around longer than previously expected.

During an investor Q&A, Nintendo’s Sigeru Miyamoto expressed that he believes the Nintendo Switch could be around longer due to the unprecedented hybrid nature of the console. He also feels that Nintendo’s efforts to create unique and original content for the platform could keep it on store shelves for years to come.

The Nintendo Switch Breakthrough

“When you think about what can be done with the Nintendo Switch as a device that can be taken on the go and that every person has in their hands to play, you realize it has many features not available on any other hardware to date,” Miyamoto said. “Nintendo also has a system in place whereby the software developers focus on these hardware features in their development efforts for the continuation of the Nintendo Switch business.” (http://bit.ly/2CeDsCZ)

Miyamoto went on to say “Up until now, the hardware lifecycle has trended at around five or six years, but it would be very interesting if we could prolong that life cycle, and I think you should be looking forward to that.” (http://bit.ly/2CeDsCZ)

Nintendo director Shinya Takahashi added that the company had junior level developers working closely with higher management to create a multitude of interesting products that are both fun to play and can reach a wide audience.

Nintendo Changing The Game

“Behind the unceasing stream of Nintendo Switch software releases to date is an approach to development that concentrates on development, itself the fruit of efforts several years ago to integrate the software development teams, which has made it easier to organize teams.” (http://bit.ly/2CeDsCZ)

To give some perspective, Nintendo released their previous console, the Wii U back in 2012 and ended production in January 2017. The Switch launched in March 2017 and already outsold the Wii U’s lifetime sales in a 10 month period. If Miyamoto’s beliefs hold true, the company could have the console on the market until 2023 or beyond.

As of now, some of Nintendo’s biggest IP’s already made its way to the console with plenty more on the way. The company previously stated that they want to see all of their games come to the Switch, but the biggest fans are holding out for word on a new Animal Crossing and Super Smash Bros. Hopefully, the console’s popularity doesn’t falter and the community can continue to enjoy this system for as long as Nintendo sees it is a contender.

Rainbow Six Siege: New Threats Await in the Tactical Shooter

Rainbow Six Siege is gearing up to release a monstrous update. Beginning in March, Operation Chimera and the highly anticipated Outbreak event will be available to the public. Operation Chimera and Outbreak are very different experiences. One is a regular Rainbow Six Siege update and the other is something completely new to Ubisoft’s’ tactical first-person shooter.

Find the latest details on all the new content coming the Year 3 of Rainbow Six Siege. Directly below is the latest cryptic trailer that hints at the origins of the new threat coming to the Outbreak event.

Operation Chimera

The new Counter Terrorism Unit making its way to the dangerous world of Rainbow Six Siege is the Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear Threat Unit. With biological and chemical attacks becoming a more serious threat, the CBRN is a different kind of CTU than those previously added to the game. Focused on advanced threats, both operators have incredibly unique special abilities.

Using a drone to maintain “quarantine perimeters”, one of the new operators is Lion, a French operator and comes with a mysterious backstory. The official Rainbow Six blog post on the update explained, “Their service record is astounding, but their list of regrets seems endless.”

The second, a Russian operator named Finka, discovered the incredible world of self-dissolving nanobots through their studies in the motherland. Not much else is known how these nanobots will impact the course of battle. Ubisoft did state that the entire team will benefit from the research carried out by Finka.

Outbreak

Now things start to get interesting with the Year 3 content. Ubisoft is releasing a limited time co-op event unlike anything Rainbow Six Siege has seen before. An epidemic has consumed the town of Truth or Consequences, New Mexico and things get interesting. A team of three will be tasked with neutralizing the alien threat.

The new mode will include three exclusive new PvE maps and will be larger, more open and more linear than the PvP maps. These new maps are specifically designed for co-op play but will have all the destructive elements people enjoy so much.

The limited time event is available to anyone with Rainbow Six Siege. It also comes with a host of cosmetic offers including headgears, uniforms, weapon skins and new charms. Gamers will be able to play Outbreak as the Two new Chimera Operators Finka and Lion, Smoke, Ying, Buck, Kapkan, Hibana, Zofia, Fuze, Ash, Doc, Thermite, Tachanka, and Glaz.

New information will continue to become available as the release nears closer. Details on the new threat coming to Outbreak as well as a more in-depth explanation of the new operators are still scarce. Gigamax Games will continue following this new content until Gigs and Mack are able to get hands-on with the update.

Will OWL Competitors Hurt Its Future?

The Overwatch League (OWL) has brought in millions of viewers from all over the world. Its first week drew over 13 million viewers, outpacing the latest NA LCS season in League of Legends. Blizzards OWL might be finding views are dropping during the second week but reports are coming in that viewership is stabilizing. However, will this last with the recent bad press OWL is experiencing?

Conduct of the competitors and viewers continue to be a topic of discussion. Racist and homophobic remarks and memes are popping up in the stream chat as well as the actions of some competitors are calling the professionalism of the competition into question.

This Is Just The Beginning

Blizzard set out to create an eSports league unlike any other. Salaried competitors, one of the most popular games in the world, and holding individuals accountable just like professional football or baseball players. However, not being aired on national television opens up some questions about what type of conduct will be tolerated.

Players are already feeling the impact of the OWL’s Code of Conduct. Friday, January 19th, Dallas Fuel player Felix “xQc” Lengyel was suspended for four matches and fined $2,000 for violating the Code of Conduct during his individual stream. The official Overwatch League website stated that the league “takes standards of player behavior seriously whether during league play or otherwise, and is committed to responding swiftly when violations occur.

Where Is The Code of Conduct?

Even though the officials of the OWL say they take the Code of Conduct seriously, there is still no way for the general public to see what they actually are. Overwatch league’s commissioner, Nate Nanzer has still not made these rules public. “We just haven’t gotten around to it,” Nanzer told the Telegraphic. “I don’t know the exact timeline, but it’s something that we’re working on, and I think we’ll have it published within the next few months.” http://bit.ly/2nbMDOI

Having a solidified Code of Conduct available to the public will be an important step toward further legitimizing the Overwatch League. They need to be clear, set in stone, and competitors must be held to the standards. Blizzard is allowed to set their own rules and conditions, but it will be important for the public to be able to understand what will be allowed in the professional eSports league so it doesn’t feel as though Blizzard is making things up as they go along.

Things Start Slow

Just as in professional Baseball and Football, standards and the code of conduct continue to evolve. Now, football players aren’t allowed to spike the ball in the end zone or celebrate with a dance. Rules and regulations of the NFL have changed over time and the Overwatch League is still brand new. It will be quite some time before the Code of Conduct will mature to a point where viewers and gamers can both surmise what’s acceptable behavior. Furthermore, the fact that these events aren’t on national television and instead streamed through services like Twitch could impact the decision making when creating the rules.

It will be important for the future of the league to address these issues. Blizzard is building the foundation for an impressive eSports league. However, if these issues continue to persist, the future of the OWL could be in jeopardy. There’s no telling if these streaming services will pull the plug if these kinds of violations continue to escalate.

Be sure to check back on Gigamax Games as the Overwatch League progresses. This is only the second week and there is sure to be more news coming out of this impressive tournament.

All the Announcements from Yesterday’s Nintendo Direct

Yesterday’s Nintendo Direct took the internet by storm when the gaming giant dropped what they called a Direct Mini filled with games coming out in Q1 of 2018. The days leading up to the Direct were filled with speculation and rumors from excited fans that all want to see their favorite IP’s make it onto the Switch, Nintendo’s latest best selling console. Nintendo certainly didn’t disappoint though. The 15 minute presentation was jam packed with content for fans viewing pleasure and we’ve compiled a list of every announcement, which you can find below as well as the full Nintendo Direct!

Everything Announced in Nintendo’s Direct Mini

Dark Souls Remaster

Fans of the Souls series will finally be able to take this masochistic trip through hell on the go. In a bit of an unexpected turn, a trailer was revealed for a remastered version of Dark Souls. Nintendo did say they wanted more mature rated games on the console and they certainly weren’t joking. This game is an excellent fit on for the Switch and we can’t wait to see how it plays on May 25th.

Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition

One of the best Warriors game’s is heading to the Switch. Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition will arrive in the spring of this year. Fans of The Legend of Zelda will be able to take control of characters from throughout the series history including Link, Zelda, Ganondorf, and Majora. This Wii U port is sure to be much better than the original and it will include Breath of the wild costumes for both Link and Zelda.

Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze

Another Wii U port that was announced during the Nintendo Direct Mini was Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze. Heading to the Switch on May 4th, this game puts players in the role of everyone’s favorite monkey. Not only does it come with the full original game but it also includes a new mode that lets fans play as Funky Kong that makes the challenging game a little more beginner friendly.

Super Mario Odyssey: Luigi’s Balloon World

Nintendo revealed that a new free update is heading to Super Mario Odyssey in February, which includes two brand new modes. The first mode is being called ‘Hide It’ and gives players 30 seconds to hide balloons around the world. ‘Find It’ is the second mode and it tasks players with finding the balloons that were hidden around the map. Along with the new game modes, players will also be able to get three new costumes including Sunshine Shades, Musician’s Hat, and Knight Armor.

Mario Tennis Aces

The famous plumber is hitting the tennis court once again in this latest Mario sports game. Mario Tennis Aces will feature a campaign mode, which is the first time the series’ has had one since Mario Tennis Power Tour on the Game Boy Advanced. The release date has been set as 2018, so let’s hope that means earlier rather than later.

Donkey Kong Comes to Mario+Rabbids

The latest playable character for Ubisoft’s Mario + Rabbid game has been announced. Donkey Kong is finally getting his revenge on the Rabbid menace in the game’s first expansion pack. DK is included in a new original story set, free for season pass holders or can be purchased separately.

Payday 2

Payday 2 is heading to the Switch so gamers can take their heists on the run. Announced for February 27th, this indie hit will also receive an exclusive character on the Switch named Joy. She is a computer hacker that comes packed with a customizable LED mask.

New Fighters Coming to Pokken Tournament

Pokken Tournament is about to get some brand new monsters to brawl with. A Battle Pack is now available to purchase on the Nintendo Estore and essentially acts as the game’s season pass. Purchasers will receive two waves of content that will release in the next few weeks. The first wave will include Aegislash as a battle Pokemon along with Rayquaza and Mimikyu as support Pokemon. The second wave will include Blastoise as a battle Pokemon along with Mew and Celebi as support Pokemon.

Kirby: Star Allies Release Date

Kirby’s latest adventure through dreamland finally has a release date! During the Nintendo Direct it was announced that players can control the pink puff ball on March 16th. The latest iteration of Kirby allows him to copy two powers and make a new one, much like the N64 game Crystal Shards. The game also features 4 player co-op with friends being allowed to control certain enemies.

Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana

NIS is bringing its JRPG Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana to the Switch this summer. Ys VIII came to the PS4 and Vita in 2017 and is the series first game in almost 10 years. Players will take control of Adol and search for shipwrecked passengers on a deserted island while fighting for survival.

The World Ends With You: Final Remix

The World Ends With You: Final Remix will be coming to the Nintendo Switch later this year! The game came out 10 years ago and the latest edition will contain the original game along with a new scenario for fans to enjoy. Players will be able to play the game with the joy-con controllers or make use of the system’s touch screen.

Fe Release Date

Fe is an adorable game starring a fox that just wants to explore the forest. During the Direct Nintendo revealed that Fe will be heading to the console on February 16th. Players will be able to control the cute fox while they try to solve puzzles by speaking with the other forest critters.

Celeste Release Date

The next game from Towerfall Ascension’s creator Matt Makes Games announced its upcoming platforming adventure will be heading to the Nintendo Switch on January 25th. Celeste is a challenging platforming adventure that is packed full of secrets and a variety of collectables as players work their way to the top of Celeste mountain.

Yesterday’s Nintendo Direct was a great way for the company to start 2018! We’ll make sure to have coverage of all these games and updates as they become available so be sure to keep checking back with GigamaxGames.com for all the latest in gaming news.

5 Worst Video Games and Blunders of 2017

With the year coming to a close and the Game of The Year announced, it’s time to take a look back at the games that didn’t make the cut. After an absolutely intense Game Awards this year, it can be hard to remember that not every game was a big hit. 2017 was a great year for gaming in some ways but also filled with some grand mistakes. Let’s find out what made the list of the worst video games and blunders of 2017.

The Stain on Star Wars Battlefront II

Star Wars Battlefront II may not have been a bad game but it did get off on the wrong foot. The community was in an uproar when they found out loot boxes offered advantages in the multiplayer. When a game is built around the multiplayer experience, offering an unfair advantage for money will strike a nerve with the gaming community.

These were not your normal Overwatch cosmetic loot boxes, these were much more similar to those found in Free to Play games. Gamers could pay their way to the top, absolutely decimating anyone who refused to participate in EA’s scheme. EA held an AMA with the Reddit community to address concerns about the upcoming title. They were quickly overwhelmed by the anger the community expressed about the loot box system. Ignoring questions and inevitably shutting the microtransactions down the day of release, this game is now stained with this shameless money grab.

Absolver

This was a game that the Gigamax crew was looking forward to for quite some time. A melee based, online fighter where the player can create their own unique combos caught the eye of gamers everywhere. It sounded like it would be an original and exciting fighter with “Dungeon crawling elements” and deliver an expansive online experience. However, after the impressively short story was over, the only thing left to do was run around the astonishing small map and get punched and kicked to collect new moves, collecting rare masks and not much else. Of course, there was a 1v1 online matchmaking experience but that was even lackluster. Even though the developers built this game up in a big way, it quickly fell flat on its face. This is the epitome of a blunder.

Scalebound

It’s always upsetting when a game gets canceled. What’s even more upsetting is when the game was promoted with all the might Microsoft Studios had to offer. This game was making its rounds throughout the game community and people were pumped to ride through an amazing world on top of a gigantic dragon. The world was distraught when word broke that this fantastic adventure would never reach stores.

Making headlines in May, Microsoft Studios made the decision public stating “After careful deliberation, Microsoft Studios has come to the decision to end production for Scalebound,” a representative told Polygon. When a game makes such impressive rounds throughout the world of gaming media and then get dropped flat on its face, it makes the list of top gaming blunders of 2017.

Destiny 2

Bungie made a statement with the first Destiny game. It rocked the world and was a monumental success right out of the gate. Making claims that it would be a 10-year game, that was quickly proved false after the announcement of their second installment, Destiny 2.

Destiny 2 was supposed to address all the shortcomings gamers complained about in the first game. But after gamers worked their way through an improved campaign, things started to go downhill. With the release of the latest DLC, gamers that previously had access to content without any additional purchases found themselves locked out, forced to purchase the DLC to once again enter the prestige raid. Lackluster post-release support, shallow content, and a horde of disappointed gamers earned Destiny 2 a spot on this list.

Friday the 13th the Game

Friday the 13th The Game was not a bad game at heart. The Gigamax crew poured hours and hours into this unique indie game, granted a lot of that time was spent waiting for the servers to work. Plagued with server issues, random crashes, and simply being broken from time to time these issues absolutely decimated the value of this imaginative experience.

Even though the developer, Gun Media went out on a limb to build the game, these issues hurt the overall game in a big way. Gamebreaking bugs, unreliable servers, and missteps along the way left a bad taste in gamers mouths. It’s tough out there for an indie developer, hopefully, these issues won’t hurt any future games Gun Media releases.

What do you think should have made the worst video games and blunders of 2017? Let us know in the comments below or on Twitter and Facebook. We want to hear from you!

The Game Awards 2017 GOTY: Skip The Fluff

This past Thursday marked another tremendous return of The Game Awards 2017. Dubbed the Oscars of the gaming world, this international conference brings together the entire gaming community to reflect on the past year and all the amazing games released in 2017.

We watched the entire presentation so you didn’t have to and took all the most exciting announcements from The Game Awards and got right to the point. Those that want to watch it for themselves can find the full event at the bottom of this page.

Scroll down for the Game of The Year Winner!

Everyone had their eyes on The Game Awards 2017 to see which games will be recognized and those that ended up slipping through the cracks. Streamed live from the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles in 4K Ultra HD format, it celebrates the best games, eSports and members of the gaming community. This is a global event which includes localized versions reaching Chinese, South Korean, Brazilian, Russian, Japanese and other broadcasts from nations around the world.

2017 was an intense year for gamers everywhere. People were speculating what game would take home the coveted Game of The Year (GOTY) award. It was incredibly difficult to guess the winner with so many amazing games but the nominees included; PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds, Persona 5, Horizon Zero Dawn, Super Mario Odyssey, and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.

Be sure to check back on GigamaxGames.com as the crew dissects the entire event throughout the month.

Below you will find the Game of The Year Winner and a few other highlights from this epic event.

Game Of The Year Winner | The Game Awards 2017!

Legend of Zelda: Breath of The Wild

Nintendo rocked the nominees this year but Legend of Zelda: Breath of The Wild took home the title of Game of The Year 2017 winner. Well deserved, this is a Nintendo masterpiece and was a win for the legendary game company. This was an unbelievable year for the world of gaming and proves the future is bright for the gaming industry as a whole.

The Game Awards 2017 Awards

Best Music

Nier Automata – Platinum Games

Best Narrative

What Remains of Edith Finch – Giant Sparrow

Best Action Game

Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus – MachineGames

Best Art Direction

Cuphead – Studio MDHR – Nominated for a total of 5 awards this year.

Best Debut Indie Game & Best Indie Game

Cuphead – Studio MDHR

Best Role-Playing Game

Persona 5 – Atlus, P Studio

Best Strategy Game

Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle – Ubisoft

Most Anticipated Game

The Last of Us Part 2 – Naughty Dog

Best Family Game

Super Mario Odyssey – Nintendo Entertainment Planning & Development

Game for Impact

Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice – Ninja Theory

Best eSports Team

Cloud9

Best eSports Player

FAKER

Best Ongoing Game & Best eSports Game

Overwatch – Blizzard

Best Student Game

Level Squared

Best Performance

Melina Juergens – Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice

Best Game Direction & Best Action Adventure Game

Legend of Zelda: Breath of The Wild – Nintendo Entertainment Planning & Development

Industry Icon

Carol Shaw

This inspiring individual was the first woman to get her name on a game box. It was an age where one person created an entire game, from graphics, user interface, and coding, she did it all. If you haven’t heard of this pioneer of gaming, please take the time to click this link to her wiki page and learn a little more about this spectacular individual.

World Premiere Highlights

Accounting Plus – 2018

Co-creator of Rick and Morty, Justin Roiland is bringing a brand new game to the world on December 19th. This whacky adventure holds true to the craziness that is Rick and Morty without being a Rick and Morty game. This VR experience is the first title from the new studio, Squanchtendo. Partnered with Tanya Watson, they teamed up the indie study Crows Crows Crows which takes a unique approach to the notoriously dull word of accounting.

In The Valley of The Gods – 2019

From the creators of Firewatch, this adventure game looks like it takes place in Egypt where the two heroines take on the impressive challenge of exploring the long-abandoned tombs. Using technology that looks like it’s straight out of the early 19th century, ‘In The Valley of The Gods’ caught the attention of the world with their brief preview at this year’s award show.

Fade to Silence – 12/14/17 PC and “2018 all next-gen consoles”

Coming very soon, the developer showed off just exclusively in-game footage. This survival game looks as though it’s based in a post-apocalyptic world where the hero battles the elements to survive. This game snuck up on the community and seems like it’s sure to deliver unbelievable thrills.

This critically acclaimed franchise is coming to the Nintendo Switch in its entirely. 1, 2, and 3 will all be available on Nintendo’s newest console. The president of Nintendo America showed up in person to announce the title and left fans feeling as though they once again poured their heart and soul into the newest addition to the Bayonetta universe.

Death Stranding

Kojima Productions announces Death Stranding is back. With an extended trailer, it offered a little more background into the story behind Death Stranding. More detailed than their original trailer it was still extremely vague but looked incredibly interesting.

Witchfire

The creators of The Vanishing of Ethan Carter and Bulletstorm bring the world, ‘Witchfire’. With a short preview, there wasn’t much information offered but the action-packed trailer caught the Gigamax crew’s eye.

Dreams – 2018

This trippy trailer looked bright and colorful. The beautiful visuals and an exquisite soundtrack caught the world’s attention. Stay tuned for more information as details begin to emerge.

PUBG Desert Map – Miramar – Available Tonight

Available tonight on the test servers, the new desert map for PUBG the world has been waiting for has been officially announced. The head of PUBG Corp. made the announcement in person on The Game Awards stage.

Work Together or Die Together (GTFO)– 2017 (Maybe)

From the designer of Payday and Payday 2, a brand new first-person shooter developed by 10 Chambers has been announced to the world. Intense combat and relying heavily on teamwork along with puzzle-solving, GTFO being released by a brand new indie studio. From the looks of it, you would have never guessed an indie team of 10 put this game together.

Additional Highlights

Zelda: Breath of The Wild | The Champions’ Ballad – DLC Pack 2 | AVAILABLE NOW

Besides the grand opening and teaser of a new weapon and Link riding a motorcycle named “The Master Cycle Zero”, there wasn’t too much information offered but there’s a plus. Developers let the gaming community know that it is available now. This DLC looks spectacular and the Gigamax crew cannot wait to spend countless hours exploring all of the new content this DLC is sure to bring.

Soulcalibur VI

One question, do your souls still burn? The world welcomes back this classic fighter from Bandai Namco Entertainment and the crowd lost their minds when the news broke. New gaming platforms allowed the developers to bring an entirely new level of graphics and environmental detail that was never before seen in a Soulcalibur game. This is high on the must play list for the Gigamax crew.

Fortnite 50v50 Mode

Available right now, this unique game mode is truly something unique. Pitting 50 players against another team of 50 will surely bring an incredible experience. Building, shooting and working as a gigantic team is an exciting prospect.

Flash Sale Celebration

In celebration of the award ceremony, The Game Awards 2017 is hosting a sale on Xbox Live, Nintendo eShop, PlayStation Store, and Steam. This year they’re teaming up with eBay and offering exclusive deals on gaming hardware and gear. Also, there’s still time to enter The Game Awards 2017 ULTIMATE GIVEAWAY! [Hyperlink: https://wyng.com/campaign/831410]

Watch The Full Event

This years game award was actually much less awkward than expected. With hysterical jokes, mind-blowing music performances, and spectacular visuals, this is not an event to miss.

Watch This Craziness from The Game Awards 2017…

There was so much incredible content announced at The Game Awards 2017 that this article won’t be able to cover it all. Be sure to check back on GigamaxGames.com as the crew breaks down the entire event throughout the rest of December as they break down the entire event and offer in-depth insights into all the major announcements. Follow Gigamax Games on Twitter and Facebook to keep up with the latest content.

PUBG Making A Global Impact

The world has been rocked by the emergence of PUBG. It took the Battle Royale game mode and threw it right in the face of the public. People were ecstatic and couldn’t get enough, it was nearly an overnight hit. Climbing to the tops of the Steam charts and selling more than 20 million copies worldwide it has attracted international attention. Clones, ripoffs, and games embracing the Battle Royale style have been popping up all over the place trying to jump on the hype-train.

PUBG Going Mobile

Back in September reports came in that Tencent, a Chinese game publisher that through a series of acquisitions own Clash of Clans and League of Legends has a 5% stake in PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds developer, Bluehole, and hopes of owning more of the company in the future. Now, Tencent announced they won exclusive rights to develop a mobile version of PUBG for the Chinese market.

The powerful game publisher will be working with Bluehole to seamlessly port the PC hit to smartphones for Chinese audiences. They are reluctant to release any definitive details on how they plan on replicating the massive experience for mobile platforms but they did say they are making “very good progress”. As of now, it is unclear whether or not the mobile version of the game will make it to people outside of China. Tencent also had these interesting few words to say about the slightly altered version, they will ensure PUBG reflects “socialist core values, Chinese traditional culture and moral rules.” whatever that means.

Call of Duty Embraces Battle Royale Trend

More news has come from China surrounding the Battle Royale Game Mode. Call of Duty Online is exclusive to China and testing out a similar game type to the ever popular PUBG. The new ‘survival mode’ will be fully released by Tencent in December where 18 players are pitted against each other and fight until one person is left standing. Players will spawn unarmed, scavenge for weapons and fight to the death. As with the PUBG mobile port, there’s no word if or when this game mode will be making it to Call of Duty games in the west. Bringing it beyond China could ride on its popularity with Call of Duty Online but the world will have to wait and see.

Battle Royale Game Mode Rocks The World

The gaming community’s tastes change and Bluehole released their game at the right time on the right medium, PC. Now coming to Xbox One in December which will be exclusive on Microsoft’s console for a year then later to PlayStation, Bluehole and their game is taking over the world and not too many people are upset about it. Now with Tencent working on bringing it to the largest console in the world, smartphones, to the country with the largest population, PUBG will only continue to expand. It will be absolutely fascinating to see how this gaming phenomenon will progress and what the future will hold.

These are the best Black Friday Gaming Deals out there. Whether in-store or online, these are the most popular games and consoles at the lowest prices. Find only the cheapest games, consoles and gaming accessories this holiday season. There were so many spectacular games released this year, countless adventures to go on, and now is the time to catch up on some of the titles that shook the industry in 2017.

The bottom section has the top deals for the latest games for PC, PlayStation, Xbox and Nintendo Switch!

Nintendo Switch

Unfortunately, there haven’t been any major deals listed for the Nintendo Switch. Finding one in stock challenging enough but it doesn’t seem as though Nintendo is willing to cut the price of their market breaking console just yet.

Black Friday Deals for PlayStation, Xbox, and PC

Beleive it or not, some of these games are over 50% off! These are AAA hits and their prices are plummeting, there might not be another chance to get these titles at these prices. Some of these links aren’t updated for their Black Friday deals just yet so be sure to wait. However, don’t wait too long, that “Out of Stock” text can really put a damper on a happy day of savings.

Loot Box Madness: There’s A Right Way And Wrong Way

The loot box trend hit the gaming community hard. Nearly every new release, especially when it comes to multiplayer games seem to have embraced this worrisome trend. Popping up more and more, gamers are beginning to get used to seeing the option to purchase in-game currency to open up these mystery chests. However, there is both a right way and wrong way developers can go about incorporating these controversial additions into their games.

UPDATE: EA is pulling the microtransactions. According to Kotaku, EA will be suspending all microtransactions after backlash from the gaming community. Find the latest Breaking News at the bottom of this article.

The Overwatch Effect

When taking a look at one of the world’s most popular first-person shooters, Overwatch, the loot boxes are a relatively welcomed addition. Only containing cosmetic items, players will never receive anything that will give them an advantage over other gamers. Even though they do cost real-world money, they are completely optional. Furthermore, every item that can drop can be unlocked by opening up normal loot boxes that the game gives people once a player reaches a new level.

The other spectacular feature that Overwatchs’ loot box systems allows the developer to do is offer all their additional content for free. There is absolutely no charge for any new characters, maps or anything else that Blizzard adds to the game and that benefits everyone involved. Even if a player never purchases a single loot box, they reap the rewards of Overwatch implementing their loot box system. Also, that same gamer that never spent a dime on loot box has the chance to unlock any skin, emote or tag the game has to offer. This is the right way to handle loot boxes.

Pay To Win

Two games, in particular, have caught fire from the video game community for their loot box practices. Starting with Shadow of War, the loot boxes are not necessary to complete the main story. Opening up their little mystery boxes have a chance to roll epic or legendary orcs that players can add to their army but these powerful orcs aren’t absolutely critical in order to progress. However, at the very end of the game (no spoilers), there’s a point where these epic orcs can cut down on hours of grinding. Without purchasing these special orcs, because honestly, that’s exactly what those loot boxes are, people need to spend dozens of hours grinding and dominating orc after orc to find a special ending.

| BREAKING NEWS | Star Wars Battlefront II: EA Announcement

Now moving over to the prime example of the wrong way to handle the loot box system with Star Wars Battlefront II. EA created an environment that completely favored those willing to spend money on loot boxes. Battlefield II loot crates offered in-game gun attachments or star cards that actually provided an advantage for players. Gamers that refused to purchase loot boxes wouldn’t just be leaving a new skin, or a secret ending on the table, this time it will hold people back from having an enjoyable multiplayer experience. However, EA made an announcement on 11/16/2017 at 5:24pm on Twitter that they will be turning off all microtransactions on Star Wars Battlefront II. This is breaking news and it is expected EA will make a few more announcements regarding how they will be handing in-game purchases. Gigamax will be keeping a close eye on these developments so don’t forget to stop by soon and see what’s in store.

Below The Gigamax Crew Offers Their Impression On The Loot Box Scandal

Let’s Not Set This Precedent

There’s a right way and wrong way to handle the loot box situation. EA showed the worst part of the gaming industry with their loot box system. EA’s AMA on Reddit was an absolute disaster, avoiding questions and deleting comments, they know what they did. Battlefront was an absolute flop and it seems EA was trying to use the loot box system to ensure they made their money with this new game. Overwatch is an excellent example of how to handle the loot box situation, Battlefront II and Shadow of War is spitting in the faces of gamers everywhere. Businesses need to make money, but forcing people to buy in-game items with real-world money is not the right way to go about doing so.